A Mother's Love
by muddmm
Summary: Harry Potter was saved by a mother's love more than once. A series of one-shots.
1. Lily

She flew up the stairs, her long, auburn hair whipping around her face and her green eyes wide with terror. She prayed to God that James was right behind her. Prayed to God there weren't as many of them as it had seemed. Prayed to God they would make it of this alive. She reached the top of the landing and ran towards the newly furnished nursery.

She knew James wasn't behind her.

She knew the Death Eaters outnumbered them ten to one.

She knew the Dark Lord was right on their door step and that it was more than likely she, her husband, and her new baby boy would die this night.

The nursery door was cracked to let in a small sliver of light from the hallway. She could hear tiny whimpers coming from inside. Lily ran through the door and slammed it shut behind her, casting spell after spell to make it as impenetrable as possible. The muggle in her came out and she turned the lock for good measure.

Finally, she turned to regard the tiny occupant of the large, white wooden crib. Jet black hair, already thick and unruly just like his father's – less than a year old and he was the spitting image of James. But his eyes…his eyes were pure Lily. "Harry," she breathed, rushing towards the crib. She picked him up and cradled him in her arms as he clung to her, grabbing thick handfuls of her hair in his chubby baby hands. She rubbed his back and whispered soothing nonsense. "It's going to be okay, my love. It's going to be okay, shhhh, shhhh-shhh. Daddy's coming, and then we'll go stay with Uncle Sirius for a bit? How does that sound?" She continued to rock him, ignoring the streaming rivulets of tears down her face as she listened to the sounds of battle below.

It had happened so suddenly. Harry had been fussy all day and she and James had sniped at each other as they took turns trying to soothe the upset baby. Looking back, it was obvious they could all sense something was terribly wrong…

But she and James were newlyweds with a new baby and housebound with the threat of death hanging over their heads. This wasn't the first time they had all been a little stir crazy. She had finally gotten Harry to bed and come down stairs to have it out with James when they felt that first tiny push against their wards. They had frozen, waiting silently as they hoped it was an animal of some kind, just too dumb to recognize the tinge of magic. But the push got stronger and stronger until finally the magical barrier protecting their house and its three occupants broke completely. The release of magic was so strong as it ricocheted through the house that picture frames fell and dishes broke as the walls shook. Lily had clutched her head in agony; her mind feeling like it was on fire as the blood wards were shattered. There had been no time to send off a patronus to warn the Order that Voldemort had found them at last. As soon as the shields were down dozens of masked intruders were throwing curses through winds and at the front door, trying to take down the smaller spells still protecting their residence.

Her eyes still watering from the pain, Lily had drawn her want, prepared to fight for her family and her home. But James had rushed towards her, arms outstretched to clutch her to him. "Lily!" He shouted above the roar of magic and spell casting. "Upstairs! The nursery!"

"Wh-What?" She gasped.

"The nursery! Harry! Its Harry he wants. You have to protect Harry!" His dark eyes, so different from hers and Harry's were wide with panic but she saw the determination in them.

"But – but what about you? You can't defeat them all by yourself!"

His lips tightened and he reached inside his jean pocket for his wand. _He started wearing jeans because me…they don't wear them in the wizarding world…_ was her distant thought. "You go upstairs and protect Harry. I'll hold them off until the Order gets here. Dumbledore will have felt the barrier break – he'll know we're in trouble. Go!"

Her eyes were watering again but it wasn't because of the spell. "But – "

"GO, Lily." His eyes softened and his mouth crooked into that trademark grin. The grin that was pure James. The grin that had first made her notice how handsome he was. "Go protect our son."

Setting her jaw she nodded. She rose up on her toes and gave him a fierce kiss before turning and running up the stairs to the nursery. Her last image of James was of him turning slowly towards the smashed front door.

Upstairs with Harry, Lily heard the sounds of battle abruptly stop thought she could still hear James showing obscenities. A chill swept through the house and she knew the Dark Lord had arrived. Another voice, softer, joined James' and then, quite suddenly, the only noise was a large thud as something heavy hit their wooden floor.

Lily choked on a sob, burying her head against Harry's back as her body trembled. _James…_

She heard the stairs creak and had the strange, gleeful thought, _Not even Lord Voldemort can come up those stairs quietly._ The creaking had always driven James crazy and she knew if he were here he would have been just as amused.

She sniffled, hugging Harry tightly to her, sharing in the sorrow he didn't feel yet. "It's going to be okay, my love," she whispered. "Mommy won't let anything bad happen to you." She carefully set her son back in his crib, his cries growing louder as his mother's warmth left him. She stroked his face a few times, smiling through her tears. "I know you'll grow up to be brave and strong. A true Gryffindor. And everyone will say how handsome you are. I know you'll be loved." She kissed his forehead one last time. "Mommy loves you very much." She stood and turned towards the door, her wand resting in her right hand down by her side.

The knob turned slowly and the door was gently pushed open.

This was the first time she had laid eyes on Lord Voldemort. She was quite disheartened to see how handsome he was. He had thick chestnut hair and warm brown eyes, and he was tall, with a strong jaw and broad shoulders. His black velvet robes swept the floor gracefully behind him as he entered the room. He regally inclined his head towards her in greeting. "Mrs. Potter," he murmured. He glanced behind her towards the crib and his chocolate eyes lit up in delight. "And this must be young Harry, such a handsome boy. He looks just like his father." The Dark Lord glanced between the two of them quickly before adding, "Except his eyes. He has your eyes."

Lily gripped her wand tighter. Her rage wanted to lash out at the man for daring to speak of the husband he had just murdered but her fear only let her open her mouth to whisper, "Please leave."

The Dark Lord shook his head as he stepped closer, raising his wand. "You know I can't do that," he said, regretfully. "Step aside."

"No."

He shrugged. "So be it."

The force of the Killing Curse threw her in front of the crib and her last thought was for her son.

 _Mommy loves you very much, Harry._


	2. Molly

_Of all the crazy, stupid, idiotic, BRAINLESS_ …Molly Weasley went thumped the heavy clay bowl onto the counter as she continued to mentally berate her children while she cooked breakfast. If she said everything she was thinking out loud she would end up saying something she would regret. She blamed Arthur mostly. He had _promised_ her he had gotten rid of that…that…that thing! "A flying car," she muttered as she stirred the pancake batter. "Of all the…" She went back to ranting in her hand.

"They were starving him mum! There were bars on his window!" Her youngest son shouted through a mouthful of biscuit.

"Well you best hope I don't put bars on you window, Ronald Weasley," she snapped back. She set a plate of food down in front of the cause of all the commotion and patted him on the head as she turned back to the kitchen.

Harry Potter. In her house. Via a midnight ride in a flying car. Driven by three of her underage sons.

It sounded like something out of one of those teen novels Ginny was always reading.

Of course she believed Ronald. The poor boy did look half starved. (She was positive half of his weight came from the mop of black hair on his head). She remembered him from last year when she had sent Ron off to Hogwarts for the first time. A small, scared boy, all by himself, trying figure out how to get onto the train. What kind of family was he living with that would treat flesh and blood this way was beyond her. She had known his parents of course. Not well, but as a member of the Order she and Lily Potter had crossed paths, especially both being pregnant as they were. She had known about the threats and the safe house. When the news had gotten back to the Order that Sirius Black had…well, now was not the time to dwell on such things.

Molly sat a plate full of pancakes in front of the boy and gave his shoulder a squeeze, encouraging him to eat.

Just then Arthur came through one of the many side doors. He sat down in his usual seat and started reaching for the biscuits as he greeted his children. Molly waited a moment…and then a moment more…and then rolled her eyes as it took her husband several minutes to realize there was a head of black hair amongst the normal sea of red. "Who's this then?"

Harry hurriedly set down his fork and held out his hand, the too large flannel shirt falling over his fingers before he shook it back. "I'm Harry sir, Harry Potter."

Her husband stared wide eyed at the boy. "Good Lord, are you really?"

Ron and her twins eagerly shook their head and Molly rolled her eyes as she set a bowl of fried eggs on the table. "He arrived this morning. _In a flying car_ ," she added a hard edge to her tone.

Arthur immediately stopped chewing and darted a quick glance at his sons.

There was a moment of silence before he eagerly questioned, "How'd she work?"

All four boys quickly exclaimed how amazing the journey had been, their voices piling over each other as they described their adventure until Molly thunked a frying pan onto the counter.

"Boys," she called sweetly, "why don't you take Harry out into the yard and get rid of some of those gnomes that have been pestering us all summer? Hmmm? I need to speak with your father." She turned her murderous eyes to her husband who looked like wished more than anything he could go out into the yard with the boys. "Molly, love…"

"Don't you 'Molly love' me, Arthur Weasley. You _promised_ me you had gotten rid of that – that – that DEATH machine! And then this morning I find our sons missing from their beds and that blasted work shed you fiddle around in busted open!"

Her sons quickly hurried past her out of the kitchen door knowing an explosion of epic proportions was about to take place between their parents. Harry, however, lingered in the kitchen. His bright green eyes lowered as he tried to apologize to the Weasley matriarch. Molly smiled sadly at the poor boy. He clearly thought the fight was his fault and was desperate to make amends. She thought he must be worried about being asked to leave and returned to whatever 'home' he had had to be rescued from. As if she would ever let that happen.

Molly had not known Lily Potter well but she was a mother and she knew she would never want to see that look on one of her own son's faces. The boy was hers now, just as much as Ron was. She would take care of Lily and James's boy.

"Harry, dear, go out with the boys. I'll make sure to put your trunk in Ronald's room shall I? I assume you'll be staying the rest of the summer with us."

The smile the boy gave her was so radiant that it both hurt and warmed her heart. He quickly dashed out the door, the happy grin still on his face as she turned to face her husband, wooden spoon in hand.

His eyes widened at the sight, "Now Molly…"


	3. Narcissa

She was cold. For it being early May Narcissa Malfoy felt like she was freezing in her gray and black silk robes. Of course she couldn't really remember the last time she had felt very warm.

She was also tired. Merlin, she was exhausted. She felt as if any minute she would simply collapse on the soft grass of the Forbidden Forest and sleep for an eternity, until the moss grew over her body and she became just another lump on the ground. An odd, Narcissa shaped, lump.

But then again, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. Hadn't been able to sleep ever since that mon-the Dark Lord had taken up residence in her home. The home she had married Lucius in. The home she had decorated and hosted parties in. The home she had given birth to Draco in.

Draco.

He was her only thought now. Her son's name pulsed with every beat of her heart, every breath she took. _Draco._

She had not seen him for an age. The assault on Hogwarts had begun hours ago and they were already a day past when the Dark Lord had summoned all those Marked to begin the assault. Her Draco was supposed to be safely inside Hogwarts, protected under the guise of youth. No one would suspect he was a full-fledged Death Eater because of his age.

She hated Lucius for that. She loved her husband but she hated Lucius for what their Lord had done to their son. _Her son._

He would never be normal after this. Never be able to sleep through the night. Never be able to accept touch without first flinching. No matter who won this night – and Narcissa was honest enough with herself that she really didn't care what side won anymore – her family had lost.

And now Harry Potter was lying on the on the very soft looking grass of the Forbidden Forest and she was jealous. Insanely jealous of the boy because his troubles were all over now and he could just sleep. Sleep and forget.

Narcissa could never forget. The things she had seen, had seen her husband and son do, and seen happen to the people in her house. Nothing was worth all the blood and pain. And to see her once beautiful sister a hollow shell of the woman she used to be. It disgusted her. All of it disgusted her. Voldemort had sucked the very life out of Bellatrix and still demanded more. He would do the same to her, Narcissa had no doubt. To her, and to her husband, and to Draco, and to Draco's –

The Dark Lord was speaking. He was asking that she go check on the boy; make sure he was actually dead this time. Narcissa supposed that if she had tried to kill Harry Potter as many times as Lord Voldemort had she would want to double check too.

She stumbled over to where the boy lay in the middle of the clearing, her heels sinking into the grass. He was on his side, facing away from them, and Narcissa noticed how dirty and skinny he was. The mother in her made a moue of concern but she quickly pushed it aside. She didn't have the energy or the resources for anyone besides her own family. She might not even have enough to save them as it was.

She knelt beside Potter's body and thought of the waste of it all. Her trembling hand reached up to check his neck and she turned to confirm that the Boy Who Lived was truly dead at last when she felt it.

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

Her eyes widened. How was this possible? How had he…again?

She felt his body stiffen and she thought quickly, her Slytherin instincts going a mile a minute. The Dark Lord had failed to kill Harry Potter with the Killing Curse twice now. It seemed as if the boy was immortal. If she helped him now…

She leaned towards him, pretending as if she was checking for a heartbeat. Her mouth was less than a centimeter from his ear as she whispered, "Draco?"

She hated herself for her fear. If anyone caught them now…well she was no Harry Potter. She had no doubts that a Killing Curse would work just fine on her. The other Unforgivable Curses had certainly worked well enough. She held her breath as she felt more than saw his head shift downwards in a nod.

Draco was alive! Her son! She could still save him – them. All of them.

Narcissa finally turned to Voldemort and the rest of his followers, a triumphant grin that she had no need to fake across her face. "He is dead my Lord!"

 _Draco._


End file.
